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[EAST] PAX East Trading Cards 2012 (You can mail your cards again)

Update Post PAX
Thanks to everyone who took part in this. I had a fantastic time meeting all of you and collecting so many cards!

As with previous years, if you missed a meetup but would like to fill out your collection, send me a PM and I'll give you my address. After people have mailed me their cards I will post the list of cards I have and mail out packages to anyone who would like some more cards.

We will be having meetups on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this year at 6:30 PM* in the Westin lobby. This is the hotel adjoined to the convention center.

Technically the Sunday meetup happens when the Omegathon and closing ceremonies are finished.

For anyone on twitter, use #paxcards to find people people who are also trading.

See you all at PAX!

What is this?

PAX East Trading cards are one of the many great keepsakes and events of PAX. Similar to buttoneering, they serve as a memento, creative outlet, and ice-breaker. Basically everyone who wishes to participate designs their own cards, then trades them with other PAXers during the convention. More than 80 people participated last year, so it’s a great way to meet people.

What if I don't have photoshop or skills of an artist?

Here is all we need from you! You can post here and someone will send you a PM and sort out the details.

Obtain a copy of photoshop or commission someone to put the card together for you. Several people have volunteered to help out. Send me a PM and I will route you to one of our volunteers. The front image is 628 x 849 pixels (300 DPI) and the back image is 293 x 320 pixels (300 DPI).

Step 2: Download templates and font

Download the font template, back template, and fonts. Make sure the fonts are loaded before you open photoshop.

Insert the necessary text and images to the front and back templates. The "power and toughness" are your PAX Primes attended and PAX Easts attended (including 2012), respectively. For your colorless cost you may use the following chart.

Choose six of the following badges on the front of the card. Do this by activating the group layer (such as Badge 1), then activating the particular layer you want. If you would like a badge that is not listed above, you can create it yourself and I will add it to the template. All of the badges are 100 x 100 pixel .PNG with transparency. If you have an image you would like turned into a badge but lack the tools, send me a PM.

Click on the blue Upload Files button, then the green Upload Files button. You will need to upload the flattened version of your card files.

I received my order one week after I finalized it.

How will I find people to trade with?

Last year people were able to find other "card sharks" by simply placing a card in their badge holder. The forum badge holders are large enough to fix your forum card, your PAX badge and your trading card. We will also be having a meetup each day during PAX.

- Create "badges" for community events. If you would like a badge that is not listed above, you can create it yourself and I will add it to the template. All of the badges are 100 x 100 pixel .PNG with transparency. If you have an image you would like turned into a badge but lack the tools, send me a PM.

- Volunteer to help create trading cards for people who lack the tools.

What is the deadline?

If you get your order out by March 20th you'll be fine. If you wait longer than that, you may need to rush the order depending on where you live.

I have another question!

Ask whatever you like in the thread! Someone should be able to answer your question relatively quickly.

Update 3/21/2012

Spoiler:

Standard orders for cards are closed

You may still rush order cards at your own discretion, but neither jakprints nor I guarantee they will arrive in time.

I am going to be putting together checklists over the next week. If you didn't get to order your cards in time please let me know so that we can have a more accurate checklist. I know I will have cards to give away even if people don't have something to trade in return.

In the meantime, you can get excited about last year's checklist! Many of these people will be at PAX again, and I have a lot of cards from past years that will be brought to the meet-ups.

Please let me know if any cards are missing from this list, or if a card was never completed.

Update 3/11/2012

Spoiler:

Over 100 people have signed up to create trading card this year! Including cards from previous years there will be over 200 to collect. I will be posting lists of those taking part and creating a check list in the days ahead.

We will be having meetups on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this year at 6:30 PM* in the Westin lobby. This is the hotel adjoined to the convention center.

Technically the Sunday meetup happens when the Omegathon and closing ceremonies are finished.

We decided to go with minimal gaming style for the "mana cost". You'll be able to use the colorless number and two style icons. Ultimately the region icons are too abstract. The final final template should be up soon, as well as a finished example and instructions.

Once the template is finished I will be posting instructions for how everyone can make their own trading cards (or how to get help creating them).

In the meantime, let me know if you're interested in helping make cards for people who do not have access to photo. I will be posting a list of badges soon, but you can supply any badge you want as a 100 x 100 PNG and it will be added to the template.

Poll: What would people like to see as the mana cost? (Please note "PAXes attended" will already be used as Power/Toughness)

Original Post

Spoiler:

PAX East Trading cards are one of the many great keepsakes and events of PAX. Similar to buttoneering, they serve as a memento, creative outlet, and ice-breaker. Basically everyone who wishes to participate designs their own cards, then trades them with other PAXers during the convention. More than 50 people participated last year, so it’s a great way to meet people.

My goal is to have the template nailed down by New Years, so that everyone has a couple months to work on their cards. This thread will serve as a location for brainstorming, so please be respectful of other people’s ideas as we create an awesome community project.

Please let me know if you are interested in participating, or if you would like to help design the template or with the other tasks that will come up in 2012.

PS - We will not be trying to create a game for the trading cards this year, mostly because no one has all of the cards until the last hour of PAX anyway.

Posts

Last year's theme was reminiscent to the 1990's comic book hero trading cards. I'm open to anything this year, one of the things that has been mentioned is a Magic: The Gathering theme. I'm hoping I can mock something up in the next few weeks, but if anyone else can get to it before me, feel free!

I loved this so much last year. My trading card collection is proudly displayed on one of my bookcases. Definitely in again this time.

Given that I've been playing a LOT of M:TG recently, I think a Magic theme could be pretty cool. We'd need to come up with a bunch of PAX-themed keywords and abilities I guess. Or make planeswalker cards for ourselves. Unfortunately I have the graphic design instincts of the average rock, so I'm going to be pretty useless on that front.

I want to help! \o/ I'd love to participate this year. MtG is a cool format because you would get flavor text but if people wanted something simpler the pokemon tcg card format is pretty neat too. (gaming types instead of elements: card, table, vidya etc) Either way both of those formats would need a back of the card image and it might look pretty cool if we all have the same card back. (makes it all part of one set)

Anyway, I'm in again. Is this where we request what number we want, or are you doing that after the design is finalized? Also, I'm not too sure about the M:TG format, because one side would be the same on all cards. It could work, though.

Anyway, I'm in again. Is this where we request what number we want, or are you doing that after the design is finalized? Also, I'm not too sure about the M:TG format, because one side would be the same on all cards. It could work, though.

Number distribution will be after the template is finalized.

I picture it as the traditional M:TG card on the back, and an extended art front, so we would use both sides.

Still not 100% sure if I'm going to make it to PAX East this year or not, but I do still want to help with card creation! I think a MT:G theme could be cool. Do we want the backs to be exactly like the normal magic cards or should we do something that incorporates the PAX East logo?

Not sure about the M:tG theme though...I can see how an update could be good, but I like the current design well enough, and honestly, I kinda like the dorky superhero trading card-esque feel of it. Even if we change it to something more fantastic, I'd rather have full-blown stats. Maybe something a bit like a D&D miniatures card...small picture and statblock on one side, large illustration with fantasy border on the other. I dunno.

PAX EAST 2011 Omegathon Finalist - PAX East 2012 OmeganautAfter time adrift among open stars
Among tides of light and to shoals of dust
I will return to where I began

I'll be in, I enjoyed this last year, goofy as it was. I would also suggest trying to do meet-ups every day so that there's less of a mad scramble at the last minute. They don't have to be long, but just a couple minutes at an appointed time/place seems like it'd be productive.

What's nice about a trading card theme is that having both the front and the back personalized actually makes sense. I'd be concerned that double-sided "MtG" themed cards wouldn't really feel like MtG cards. If we go with a MtG theme, we might want to seriously consider a uniform back, even though it does mean less space to personalize.

I plan to take part in this escapade this year. So much so that everyone who gets a forum badge will also get my trading card

I support the idea of a MtG themed card for many reasons. The first is that every PAX swag bag that is handed out has a 30 card MtG deck in it that can be used in conjunction with the trading card we create, negating the need to collect a certain number before they can be played with. The second is that if offers the opportunity to go a tad weird with the cards to the point where they become stupidly overpowered or just plain dumb. Such as 'As soon as you play this card, all of your summoned creatures in play have +10 to their defences and attacks and all of your lands can be used as any type for summoning. Effect is persistent and cannot be countered'. Finally it affords us the chance to use the forum crest on the back of the badge and thus increase its prominence and use. My card will be created this week and linked here for you to see. Feedback would be appreciated.

I plan to take part in this escapade this year. So much so that everyone who gets a forum badge will also get my trading card

I support the idea of a MtG themed card for many reasons. The first is that every PAX swag bag that is handed out has a 30 card MtG deck in it that can be used in conjunction with the trading card we create, negating the need to collect a certain number before they can be played with. The second is that if offers the opportunity to go a tad weird with the cards to the point where they become stupidly overpowered or just plain dumb. Such as 'As soon as you play this card, all of your summoned creatures in play have +10 to their defences and attacks and all of your lands can be used as any type for summoning. Effect is persistent and cannot be countered'. Finally it affords us the chance to use the forum crest on the back of the badge and thus increase its prominence and use. My card will be created this week and linked here for you to see. Feedback would be appreciated.

One point this brings up is "are we trying to make these cards some sort of actionable item?" In the past they have just been collectibles. While I think the M:tG theme could be good, I'm not sure we should be trying to make them "playable" cards. This could complicate the design process significantly for some people.

In addition, unless you're trying to submit an artwork example for the template, I wouldn't worry about creating individual cards yet (since no template has been decided upon in this brainstorming thread).

I regret not participating in this last year and I look forward to do my homework well in advance this time around.

Making these actionable would create a level of complication that may be hard to manage, besides how would you either agree or control what people will put down? At best we could ask that if people really want to do that, then it would need to be akin to the Unhinged series.

I'm a whore for MTG so of course I love the idea, however I would also like to see some level of contact info and affiliation can be displayed somewhere like what we had last year. I suggest that the back be used for this all the while keeping an MTG flavor.

I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of the pseudo MtG card idea. I've seen those done to death all over the internet, and I think it lacks the uniqueness that our previous templates have had. Using the MtG template doesn't really say PAX community, it says "another MtG-style card".

I'm in on this. I love the idea of cards. I could go for MTG card style, but i would prefer more like a baseball card. Put an 'action' shot on the front with some silly stats on the back. Maybe list the conventions attendended on the back. (much like the one that PeasantDave posted from last year)

I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of the pseudo MtG card idea. I've seen those done to death all over the internet, and I think it lacks the uniqueness that our previous templates have had. Using the MtG template doesn't really say PAX community, it says "another MtG-style card".

Another thing to consider is all those people who have left over cards from last year. I'm sure some would appreciate being able to use them.

I still have leftover cards from 2010 because they sent me 300 instead of the 100 I ordered. That was nice and all, but I rather would have paid less for the 100 then get stuck with sooo many extra cards.

I still have leftover cards from 2010 because they sent me 300 instead of the 100 I ordered. That was nice and all, but I rather would have paid less for the 100 then get stuck with sooo many extra cards.

And I don't think you're the only one stuck with several extras. I remember two other persons begging me to take them late on Saturday on last PAX East.

the printing company (jakprints?) seems to make a habit of sending a lot more than you asked for. I still have a ton from last year, but I intend to do a new card for 2012 and maybe bring both for distribution.

The gamers vs. evil template seems really easy and the "rules" content is very loose. The main problem there is to make them fully actionable you would need more than one card (9, or 9 +1 randomizer). I still think that sounds awesome.

The more I think about this, the more I lean away from M:tG. It *is* a cool thing, but the two major problems with it seem difficult to overcome in my mind. Those being the following:
1) the likelihood of a push to make actionable (playable) cards
2) the idea has been used in many places (*could* be mitigated with some pretty unique design work, but then is it really that close to M:tG?)

My idea ramble is behind the spoiler, since it's not really that coherent, just an out loud brainstorm.

Spoiler:

Trying to not be the type of "yeah I don't like this but I can't think of an alternative"... I have zero artistic ability so I have a hard time getting my ideas across without being able to point at something in person. Here goes anyhow.

What about doing something with the style/colors of the "new" PA website/forums?
For the front
[*] new pax east logo in the top left corner
[*] name in an orange tab looking banner like the tabs across the top of the website (comics, archive, forum) with the slight orange border across the top
[*] PA Blue "bezel" border
For the back
[*] the name across the top stays the same but is "selected", with the blue glow like the website tabs

and that's all I've got. I know it's stealing from the website, but I'm trying to tie it to the forums somehow.